


On the alternate uses of dragoons (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 10 - Avail)

by Ivelia



Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [10]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivelia/pseuds/Ivelia
Summary: Part of my attempt for #FFXIVWrite2020 - September 10 (Day 10 - Avail)Dragoons are difficult to use outside of their primary role.Spoilers for Patch 5.3, please read at your own discretion!
Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906951
Kudos: 2





	On the alternate uses of dragoons (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 10 - Avail)

Another day spent running around, quelling minor threats in Mor Dhona. She stretched as she got out of the Rising stones. It wasn’t much to her, barely enough to prevent rust, but for the others, it was good practical experience. Still, she wouldn’t say no to a good rest… But maybe not now. I would probably have to wait until she had a word with whoever was currently spying on her. She had that feeling of being watched for a while, but… The feeling was unusual, both familiar and non aggressive. She smiled. Of course, it was  _ him _ . She moved to an empty back alley and then, guiding the flux of aether to her legs, she  _ jumped _ .

It seemed that trying to find the best vantage point to look at the scenery around was part of the dragoon instinct, or something. Perhaps it was born from their preternatural affinity with the rulers of the skies of eld. Here he was, his back leaning on the wall on the highest floor of the highest building, with his usual brooding face:

\- “Long time no see, Estinien.” A grunt of acknowledgement came in response as she came to lean against the same wall, a few malms apart. After all they went through together, there was no need to look at each other to communicate. The two Elezen spent a few moments looking at the bustling activity of the settlement in companionable silence, until he finally spoke, simply stating:

\- “I heard that everyone came back, so I wanted to take a look”.

\- “You should have come in, you know. Alphinaud keeps asking about you.” The brotherly admiration from the younger boy was unexpectedly ordinary, but kinda cute. Too bad his  _ big brother _ was neither the most expressive, nor the most honest.

\- “Nah, no need, I was just passing by.” He shot down the idea. “You can just send him my regards.”

\- “Really?”  _ Just passing by _ ? She didn’t believe him one bit. Even if he was not stationed in Ishgard at the moment, Mor Dhona was pretty much out of the way from everything, so him  _ just passing by _ was unlikely. “After coming all this way, could it be…” She suddenly understood. “I can send word to you when Krile and Tataru are not in there.” She heard him shift uncomfortably.  _ Bullseye _ . Her voice turned taunting “I’m  _ really _ curious as to what they used to enlist your services.” She had heard of the details of his enlistment, and that tasted like downright  _ juicy _ gossip.

\- “Oi! It’s nothing, really.” She could hear the fluster in his voice, which made her want to push further.

\- “Should I ask Aymeric, I wonder...” He cut her short gruffly.

\- “Tch! I just wanted to take a share of the burden, while you were not here…”

\- “As if.” She barked a laugh. “You think you can pull the wool over my eyes with that kind of sappy bullshite…” This was really not his type of thing to do, really. Which made his help all the more precious. “Thank you, old friend.” She heard him shift uncomfortably, again. This was precisely the type of emotional outpouring he disliked the most.

\- “Now that you’re back for good, I’d rather never do that again...” This experience had probably been a taste of her usual fare; being sent to some faraway land on a dubious mission, meeting unlikely allies, and ending up facing some godforsaken horrors, only to escape by the skin of your teeth... Thanks, but  _ no thanks. _

\- “Ehhh~? Come on, man.” She teased playfully. “We’re open to recruitment. I’m sure the former Azure dragon would be an instant hire.”

\- “No way, I don’t know how you do it.” She was obviously looking for someone to take over her position as the literal  _ servant of Light _ , but he would not be fooled, not  _ twice _ . Being the good Samaritan at everyone’s beck and call was  _ definitely  _ not his style. 

\- “To be honest…” She sighed as she sat on a ledge overlooking the emptiness, as if mentioning her burden reminded her of how heavy it was. “I don’t know how I do it either.”

\- “You should take a rest from time to time” he blurted.

\- “I must really look like shite for you, of all people to tell me this.” He was not the type to excel at self-care, his taking care of others was even worse, and above all, he was not a man of so many words usually. She did appreciate the thought. “Thanks for the concern though.” He deflected the gratitude, almost shy.

\- “That person would never forgive me if you were to collapse or something.” 

They both took a moment to reminisce in silence. If  _ he  _ were still here, he would probably not have been on board with seeing her running herself ragged across several planes of existence like this… Maybe she should take care of herself a bit better. He continued:

\- “If you’re ever tired of the adventuring life, Ishgard will welcome you with open arms.” He then dropped his serious tone, parroting her. “We’re open for recruitment, too. With your credentials as the Azure Dragoon, you would be an instant hire.” And, just like him, she instantly saw the trap.

\- “… Aren’t you just looking for someone to replace you as the leader of the order of Knights Dragoon?“ Even though the Dragonsong War was all but ended, dealing with the aftermath and the  _ paperwork _ was probably not a fun and relaxing job.

\- “Aymeric has been asking me to come back…” Which was part of the reason why he had taken such an interest in learning about legendary dragons that had lived far  _ away from the Holy See _ recently. He didn’t have the heart to shoot down his friend’s oblique but hopeful suggestions.

\- “Him, of all people….” She thought back of the number of times the then Lord Commander of the Temple Knights, now Speaker of the House of Lords, had tried to ditch his own post, only to be easily bound by the shackles of duty, time and time again. She sighed with compassion, even though anyone hearing her thoughts would have noted that this was a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle black. She offered “He might just be jealous…”. Still, the idea gave her pause. Outside of the dubious retirement post offered, a warm home, and a warmer hearth, time spent in leisure with close friends... It didn’t sound bad at all. “I might consider it, once I’m done.” But for the moment, it was only wishful thinking. “I can hardly leave this mess like that...”. 

While the Ascian menace seemed almost extinguished, the recent developments on the Garlean front, although not an immediate issue, were worrying. She really doubted that  _ that person _ would just up and peacefully disappear after recovering his body.  _ No way _ . She had felt his hunger, his  _ obsession _ , the last time they had crossed blades, and the fact that he went through the trouble of wrestling his body back in such a flashy way, when he could just have taken the opportunity to start a new life somewhere else, showed that he was probably up to no good. Even if she had entertained the idea of being done with him,  _ he _ probably  _ wasn’t done with her _ yet. Estinien was following the same train of thoughts.

\- “Be careful of that ... _ thing _ .” He had been able to hold his own, when battling the Parangon that had stolen the imperial crown prince’s flesh on the battlefield of the Ghimlyt Dark, but the original, complete version turned out to be in a completely different class. That man… probably couldn’t be considered as human anymore. A  _ monster _ . He threw a side look at the seemingly ordinary Elezen lady sitting a few malms away, watching the landscape, legs dangling playfully in the void below.  _ What would that make her _ ? She, after all, had already bested the guy once, and literally slain many a god, too. But even though he knew of his friend’s capabilities, he couldn’t help but worry. As if feeling his unease, she turned to him, a reassuring, determined, almost eerie smile on her face.

\- “No need to fret. Next time, I will use everything, every means available to me to make sure that he will never be a menace again”.

**Author's Note:**

> Today's word is avail [to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help / use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective]. I did try to avoid writing a mopey piece about how the WoL is exploited... I _TRIED_. Instead, I brought out the grumpiest dragoon so we have twice the grumbling.


End file.
